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The Private Suite of Her Imperial Majesty, Empress Alexandra Feodorovna
'The Private Suite of Imperial Majesty, Empress Alexandra Feodorovna' Prinzessin Alix Victoria Helena Luise Beatrice von Hessen und bei Rhein (1872 - 1918) became the last Empress/Tsaritsa of Imperial Russia after the sudden death of her father-in-law, Tsar Alexander III. Her husband, who would become known as Tsar Nicholas II, ascended the throne in 1894 and then in 1896 both were formally coronated and introduced to the Empire as the new Emperor and Empress of Imperial Russia. Right away, the german-born Tsaritsa immediately fell in love with the Alexander Palace. Both of the Imperial couple adored that it wasn't too massive as were the other Imperial residences they could have picked from, they both decided on the Alexander Palace to be their primary residence. In 1905, after the horrid events of Bloody Sunday which happened while the Imperial Family were at the Alexander Palace, and no where near the Winter Palace which was then the primary city residence in the capital of Sankt. Petersbourg of the Imperial Family, the new Emperor and Empress made the Alexander Palace their permanent residence as they felt safer and more-at-ease then residing at the Winter Palace which was very dangerous as it had been the sight of a mass murder on Bloody Sunday, which the Tsar was immediately blamed for, even though he had nothing to do with it. The Homely Empress During the reign of her beloved husband, the Alexander Palace saw extensive re-decorating on a massive scale. The entire East Wing was re-decorated as was many parts of the Right Wing, which housed courtiers and high-ranking personas of the Russian Imperial Court. During the years 1902, and 1903 the Palace saw the largest of these renovations executed. Before this re-decorating commenced, a very cavernous and beautiful Concert Hall sat in-between the private apartments of the Imperial Family and the State apartments of the Palace, which were used for State functions/ceremonial and parades. This Concert Hall which was also used as the Palace's primary Ball Room extended to both sides of the East Wing, and was separated by a colonnade, and was decorated in the Neo-Classical style. At the behest of the Empress, the Concert Hall was replaced completely with two new interiors, taking up the entire space of the former Concert Hall. The Maple Drawing Room, which was part of the Empress' private enfilade of rooms; and the Emperor's State Study or New Study'','' being part of his private enfilade of rooms, and both executed and decorated in the Jugendstil or Art Nouveau style. The Suite of the Empress The Empress herself adored the Art Nouveau style of decorating and architecture, where as her husband the Tsar disliked it's more extreme carvings and decoration, etc... During her tenure as Empress, the Alexander Palace was always seen as first, and foremost a family home. Other interiors known today through books and the ever-present internet such as the Imperial Bed-Chamber, the Mauve (Lilac) Boudoir, the Palisander Drawing Room, and the Empress' Dressing Room were all part of her private apartments, which were located opposite the Emperor's private apartments. The Empress loved bright colours, and pastel fabrics. She was one to prefer aquamarines over more expensive jewels, pearls being her absolute favourite. Her likes of light and airy colours, upholstery, wood paneling, etc... showed beautifully throughout her private spaces. The Private Suite of Her Imperial Majesty began with the Empress' Dressing Room, which was the primary space where she kept all her clothing and bathed herself was decorated in bright chintz patterns, and ivory-painted furniture, and a English-sewn carpet including a beautifully-crafted fireplace. Second in-line to the Dressing Room was the Imperial Bed-Chamber which was kept as a private space, and was used by both the Tsar and Empress as they slept here. There were two twin beds, pushed together and sometimes a single large bed was put there as well. The Empress had this room kept as it was, keeping the original furnishings and arcade running along the back of the room, everything was covered in a floral wreath pattern with pink ribbons giving the room a pleasant feel of the appearance of a quiet garden. There was a hidden water closet (bathroom) and a small oratory where the Empress prayed in private when not using the Palace Chapel (re-furbished Crimson Sitting Room of Empress Maria Alexandrovna) or the Feodorovsky Cathedral which was built for the purpose of the Imperial Family's private prayer and services as they did not like to pray in public, in particular the Empress who found social settings, especially the Imperial Court which she found to be a horrid mix of debauchery and horrible things. The third in-line to the Empress' suite was the Mauve or Lilac Boudoir. This entire space was designed by the Court decorator, Roman F. Meltzer as were the Maple Drawing Room, and the New Study and other most of the other spaces as well. The Empress' favourite colour was lilac, and the rooms of the Palace where she presided were usually filled everywhere with sweet-smelling lilacs, beautiful lillies of the valley, and other wonderful foliage, potted palms etc... The Mauve Boudoir was completely covered in a special lilac silk, with cream-painted paneled wainscoting, and dainty furniture in the French rocaille style. The floor was covered with an English carpet in a pistachio colour, and leave pattern. It was a very bright and airy space, with no chandelier, the outside light served as it's main source of light, as did several or so electric lamps. Fourth in-line of the Empress' private suite was the Palisander Drawing Room, or Rosewood Drawing Room. Before the 1902-1903 re-decorating, this space was the primary sitting room of the Imperial Family. It was named the Palisander or Rosewood Drawing Room, owing to the appearence of the highly-polished Rosewood paneling and wainscoting, and furniture all made in the luxurious paneling. The upholstery was a heavy tapestry with muted Arts and Crafts colours, while the walls were lined with a pale straw-green silk, and the carpet was in a leave pattern with a wreath motive in shades of soft purples. Fifth in-line, was the legendary Jugendstil (Art Nouveau) jewel of Imperial Russia, the Maple Drawing Room. The room owed it's name to the lavish and exquisite carvings, paneling and furniture carvings of a special variety of Maple wood, that when highly polished had the look of a dull gold shine. A great Maple-wood balcony sailed across the end of the room, with inlaid glass panels, and a staircase with intricately-designed paneling ascended up the balcony or mezzanine level of the room. All the furniture, was upholstered in pale goldish-hued fabrics, while the floor was covered in a luxurious grey-green carpet sewn in strips. The most beautiful and unique part of the room was a custom-made, built-in kosy-korner and Maple-wood cabinet which housed some of the Empress' Faberge Easter Eggs. The last of the Empress' private suite culminated in the Formal Reception Room which was where she officially recieved dignitaries, court officials etc... This room was very airy, and bright with it's snowy-white walls, heavy cranberry draperies, and a suite of beautifully-crafted furniture with apple-green upholstery, to match two ivory screens with the monogram of Louis XV from the French Empire. This space as well as being part of the private suite of the Empress, marked the beginning of the State apartments of the Alexander Palace. After the Second World War and Present Day After the damage caused by World War II, the Alexander Palace was found to have largely survived the fires set, and aerial attacks, shell fire etc it, and many other former Imperial residences were given during the Nazi occupation of Tsarskoe Selo, and other Imperial retreats of the former Russian Empire. Josef Stalin, then then dictatorial leader of the Soviet Union (USSR) had what was left of the former interiors stripped completely, and had the Palace replaced as a generic Russian Museum. Nothin today remains of Her Imperial Majesty, Empress Alexandra Feodorovna's private suite, except for mock-up rooms in the Empress' former suite itself, showcasing the lives of the last Russian Imperial Family and how they lived their everyday lives, etc... The Empress' Private Suite as it appears today New enfilade of doors (at Stalin's decision).jpg|The present-day appearence of the Empress' private enfilade (the original lay-out would have had the enfilade stopping at the Palisander Drawing Room) Mama's former Dressing Room, and the other spaces (3).png|The Empress' former Dressing Room, as it appears today. Mama, and Papa's former Bedchamber (3).png|The former Imperial Bed-Chamber, as it appears today. Mama's former Boudoir (9).jpg|The Empress' former Mauve (Lilac) Boudoir, as it appears today. The former Pallisander Drawing Room (7) .jpg|The Empress' former Palisander or Rosewood Drawing Room, as it appears today. The former Maple Drawing Room (1) .jpg|The Empress' former Maple Drawing Room, as it appears today. Mama's Formal Reception Room (5).jpg|The Empress' Former Formal Reception Room, as it appears today.